THE Metro Manila Development Authority continues to undertake preemptive anti-flood measure in the National Capital Region.
On Friday, personnel of the MMDA-Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office demolished structures situated at the Estero de Maypajo. The residential and concrete pavement structures encroached and caused the delay of dredging operation along the waterway.
The demolition along the waterway at the corner of J.P. Rizal and R. Papa was made in close coordination with the Manila City government, local barangays and Public Works and Highways department.
MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim said they demolished the illegal structures to enable flood control personnel to do their dredging works along the waterway, the phase 2 of the flood control program.
“We have to demolish the structures so we can gain access to Estero de Maypajo and do our dredging works,” said Lim, who personally supervised the demolition works.
Lim also asked the barangay officials how other establishments can self-demolish their structures and ensure that no illegal construction would be erected on top of the waterway again.
Baltazar Melgar, head of the MMDA Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office, said about 50 meters, six-meter wide estero have been found covered.
The paved concrete has long been utilized as parking areas for establishments and residents in the area.
Once structures are demolished, flood control personnel can focus on dredging operations on the waterway which has been clogged with garbage, silt and debris.
The dredging operation to be conducted is aimed at reducing the receding time of floodwater in the flood-prone area.
“We hope to speed up the flow of flood water going to Estero de Sunog Apog and ultimately into the Manila Bay,” said Melgar.
The MMDA resumed its campaign of cleaning up clogged creeks and open waterways to prevent severe floods in the metropolis in time of the rainy season.
Some MMDA men had to use small boats or bancas to fish out the floating debris and refuse from the waterways.
The agency attributed the problem from residents and informal settlers living along and near the creek.
With the regular cleanup, the MMDA expects that floods in low-lying areas of Metro Manila would quickly subside after heavy rainfall.
The campaign is also aimed to maximize the “conveyance capacity” of open waterways in Metro Manila to enable it to accommodate larger volume of floodwaters during the rainy season, thus hastening the flood receding rate and minimizing flooding.